News on the topic: torture
19.04.2024 "I'm probably just going to die here": The situation of political prisoners from vulnerable groups
Human rights activists have identified at least 255 political prisoners who are at particular risk of mistreatment while incarcerated.
16.04.2024 "The investigator turned to the wall and began to cry." The story of a senior citizen who was convicted for participating in protests
Aliaksei asked smugglers to help him escape from Belarus and jumped for joy when he was safe.
03.04.2024 Vital Chopik, detained in Brest, was taken to hospital with signs of severe beating
Recall that on March 28, 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that a 40-year-old resident of Brest, who attended court hearings, was placed in a pre-trial detention center.
29.03.2024 Viasna receives University of Graz award for documenting human rights violations
As part of the International Accountability Platform for Belarus, the Viasna Human Rights Center received the University of Graz Human Rights Award.
03.01.2024 Lack of air, overcrowded cells, night with light. What Belarusians reported during the documentation in 2023
Human rights activists spoke about the specifics of documenting in 2023.
24.10.2023 At least 32 convicts, torture, trials in absentia and behind closed doors: what is now known about the Black Book of Belarus case
Viasna writes about the persecution in the Black Book of Belarus case and political prisoners convicted of leaking personal information.
23.10.2023 Employee of the Navapolack penal colony convicted of beating a prisoner
Viasna reports a rare case of punishment of a colony employee for violence against a prisoner.
19.10.2023 Shot in knees and jailed: what Belarusians risks for their anti-war stance
As of October 18, 2023, at least 1,630 Belarusians were detained for their anti-war position. Of these, 79 persons were convicted in criminal cases for a term of 1 to 23 years.
16.10.2023 "There are no rules: they will do what they want." A former political prisoner spoke about the detention conditions in a punitive confinement cell where Vitold Ashurak died
The former political prisoner told Viasna about the conditions of detention in a punitive confinement cell in the Šklou colony, where he was kept alone for three weeks.
12.10.2023 "You haven't had your balls crushed, have you? We'll come to the police station, and you'll find out what it is." A story of a former political prisoner
Aliaksei told Viasna about being tortured during detention: his ear was torn and an officer forced him to drink from the toilet bowl after the former prisoner asked for water.
05.10.2023 At her trial, activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk reported beatings and pressure in the penal colony
Viasna recounts what happened at the first court hearing in the case of Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk.
26.06.2023 Pavel Sapelka: “Era of arbitrary rule will end, and those responsible will inevitably face the consequences”
An interview with the Viasna lawyer at the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture.
31.05.2023 Unveiling the shadows of Škloŭ colony: A former inmate's account on life and work conditions in jail
A survivor of Škloŭ Colony reveals disturbing detention conditions and systemic abuses.
26.05.2023 Political prisoner Viktoryia Kulsha subjected to abuse in detention
Viktoryia Kulsha, facing extended imprisonment, alleges harsh conditions, abuse, and multiple heart attacks due to ongoing hunger strikes.
17.05.2023 Andrei Ashurak: “Bringing Vitold's case to an end is important for the whole society”
Viasna talked to Andrei Ashurak, Vitold’s brother, about the testimonies of Vitold’s fellow prisoners, the investigation, and the restoration of justice.
